1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to devices for loading and transporting a bale of hay and, more particularly, is directed towards a bale loader which may be used in combination with a pickup truck.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern hay balers are designed to form rather large generally cylindrical bales of hay which are on the order of six feet in diameter, five feet long, and weigh about 1,000 pounds or more. The enorminity of the bales of hay thus formed makes the job of handling and transporting same one for which special equipment must be designed and utilized.
Several prior art patents of which I am aware are directed towards handling the large bales of hay produced by modern hay balers as above-described. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,935,954; 3,896,956; 3,880,305; and 3,938,682.
More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,954 teaches a two-wheel trailer utilized for a hay transport which includes a conventional trailer hitch socket for securing the transport to the rear end of a pickup truck. The bale of hay is loaded onto the trailer by actuation of a pair of hydraulic cylinders in combination with forward movement of the pickup truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,956 teaches a bale loader which is mountable on a pickup truck bed and which also utilizes a hydraulic cylinder for lifting the bale of hay, the bale loader being permanently attached to the pickup truck by means of conventional nuts and bolts.
While the devices described in the above-cited patents appear to be advances over the art then existing, they each nevertheless suffer from several deficiencies. The first-named patent, for example, sets forth a structure which is quite complex, requires an undue amount of space for operation, and which is expensive. The second-named patent describes a device which requires time-consuming and laborious installation, consists of a substantially permanent fixture in the bed of the truck to limit the utility of the latter, loads the bales of hay in a somewhat less than fully secure manner, and is therefore not a very versatile tool. Both structures require the use of expensive and maintenance-prone hydraulic cylinders for operation.
It is therefore apparent that a great need exists for a more simple, economical, and versatile bale loader which may be utilized either in conjunction with a pickup truck or, if desired, in combination with a conventional three-point tractor hitch.